Sewing and Trust

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I was talking to a friend last week, and she said, “People buy your patterns because they trust you.”

Out of all the reasons why someone would buy one of my sewing patterns, trust never even entered my mind. Clear instructions, probably. Photographs, maybe.

So I have been thinking a lot lately; not in regards to me, but in regards to anything you are buying that is sewing-related (fabric, patterns, notions, etc.), do you think that trust plays a part in it? I’m really curious about this. Do you know about the designer of the product you are purchasing in some way (do you follow their blog? Twitter? Facebook?) usually, or are you just buying things because you like how they look? Also, do you feel like you have a personal loyalty to certain designers (will you buy just about every fabric line they put out)?

In this digital age, not everyone that is sewing is on-line. I can see how the purchasing experience would be different for someone that doesn’t follow blogs or doesn’t use social media. If you’re not on-line, you’re just buying that new Anna Maria Horner in your local quilt shop because you thought it was nice, and not because you saw it on her blog (along with her adorable baby).

I suppose the idea of trust can also be applied to the blogs that you read on a daily basis. Is it important to you that a blog be authentic?

Maybe this is a hard question, but I’m really curious about it. I’d appreciate any thoughts or opinions on this topic from you!

42 replies on “Sewing and Trust”

I buy your patterns because I trust you. That trust is built by the many testers and pix you have for each design. I trust your knowledge about something like interfacing. When you say, for instance, ShapeFlex 101, I trust that statement. My success in items I make comes from trusting your directions. So yes. Trust plays a big part. That you are local (to me) and are so cute doesn’t hurt your credibility!

I was trying to explain this to a friend the other day, recommending indie pattern designers over big brand names. I think it’s personal connection too, I had a query over a bag pattern of Noodleheads once and emailed Anna with a query, it was brilliant to get a personal, helpful response which I don’t think I would have got from a big pattern house. Keep up the good work!

I think trust plays a very big part in a purchase, but trust has to be earned. I’ve learned that if I buy a ‘designer’ fabric for example that the colors are vibrant every time, as opposed to cheaper fabrics where the colors can be dull and I’m left wondering ‘will it work so well’. I trust Amy Butler, Joel Dewberry, anything Michael Miller but not because of their blogs or social media, rather because every time I buy their fabric I’ve seen the quality. Blogs and social media help build up a picture of the person writing and I think does go some way to build trust. I unlike any pages that don’t offer worldwide shipping on their competitions because I personally think they are very narrow minded to think that all their customers are in the US (or Australia) and there is not much there for me if they don’t value their worldwide customers, I don’t ‘trust’ that they care. I’ve taken a chance on patterns because I like the look of them but some are so badly written that I don’t feel I need to interact with them any further, ie follow their blog etc. (not yours 🙂 ) I think loyalty goes with trust. Once trust has been earned, you have a loyal follower who is invested in you and your product. That is where blogs come in, I think they encourage loyalty once trust has been earned. To make it personal, I like that you have lots of different examples from pattern testers, it gives me a clearer picture of the bag and encourages my imagination in how I will use it. I’ve bought your book, seen that your patterns are consistently easy to follow. I like that you commented on my wonderland bag and replied to an email I sent you. I would say that I trust your patterns (so joined bag of the month, as I also trust the other pattern writers to have good, easy to follow patterns) There is a leap of faith the first time you buy a pattern, trust after you see how the pattern is written and the parts fit together and loyalty once you interact through comments. Long winded, don’t have time to re-read this so hope it makes sense, my kids are trusting me to pick them up on time 🙂

I don’t necessarily buy something because I trust the designer, but I will think twice about buying a second pattern from a designer if I had a bad experience the first time – I’m always really impressed by the number of pattern testers you use, and I know the problems I’ve had in the past are partly due to lack of pattern testing before publication. Yes – trust definitely plays a part – it’s hard to earn, and hard to maintain but very valuable!

Indeed trust enters the picture. I have seen patterns that I think look great, but not knowing anything about the designer or company I am hesitant to part with my hard earned cash. I strive to earn my readers’ trust. In that I show my mistakes and say that we all make mistakes. Sometimes you start over, but sometimes you can make them part of the design. For that reason (trust) I always wash a quilt before I would consider selling it. If a seam is weak and pops on first washing, I want it to happen to ME not a customer. If I can’t repair it in a way that makes me happy, it becomes a donation quilt or a personal one.

I don’t buy patterns/fabric because of loyalty. If I don’t like the design or price I don’t buy it. But I buy repeatedly from Brands/Designers with whom I had good experience. Once I bought a bag pattern for about 10$ (German pattern designer) and I was so disappointed because the bag wasn’t lined at all. I did not use the pattern -> wasted money. I would not buy from her again. Yes, trust is the right word when it comes to repeated buys. You expect some kind of quality and stile.Susanne

I wouldn’t consider myself ‘loyal’ to anybody in particular. I buy stuff because I like it and not beacuse of the name of the designer on the selvedge. I like some designer more than others, but after a time, they tend to design very similar fabrics and I don’t need few fabric lines that look almost the same. With patterns it’s similar. I buy because I like how something (eg. a bag) looks. If the pattern is well designed/written, then maybe in the future I will buy more from the same designer, but again, only if I will like it and need it. And in case the purchase was bad – crappy pattern, badly written book (in my opinion) – I will not look towards this designer/writer ever again. Sadly, nowadays very often photos of fabrics look much better than fabric itself when you finally put your hand on it, reviews cannot be trusted because of the whole ‘if you want to write something bad, better don’t write anything at all’, etc. And I wouldn’t put word ‘trust’ anywhere there. For me, ‘trust’ is only for those, who I know personally (and there is only a handfull of such people).

absolutely trust plays a part in my choices. If I have made a designer’s pattern before and found the quality to be top notch, I trust that her future patterns will be the same way. I don’t buy EVERY pattern/fabric/etc a designer puts out, I only buy what I love, but if I trust a designer’s quality, I am far more apt to buy!

Trust and authenticity are definitely important to me. Yes, I may purchase an item I like from someone I don’t ‘know’ just because I like it – but then I do do ‘research’ beforehand to see that they seem trustworthy, especially if I’m making an online purchase. On the flip side, I do try to support folks I know by purchasing their fabric, patterns, etc.as I want them to succeed. Good topic.

Trust online is huge! Every store I buy from or pattern I purchase that I know from posts on instagram or other social media. Every swap i participate in and the organizers who arrange angels for the few times a partner has flaked. I find in our online community there is a lot of honesty and goodness, and there for trust. Its like were a small good world away from the crazy badness of some who participate in social media.

Trust absolutely plays a part in my decisions. Beginning with fabric – Anna Maria was the first designer quality fabric I ever bought (on accident actually). The quality of that fabric was so superior to the JoAnn’s stuff I’d been used to that for months I ONLY ordered Free Spirit fabric, I still prefer the thickness of theirs to other designer fabrics. I always know the quality I’m going to get from them. As a result my earliest fabric purchases were Anna Maria, Joel Dewberry, and Valori Wells. I still love the color saturation I get with their fabrics and prefer to buy them rather than the “newest fabric line” of some other designer. I know that Anna and Joel and Valori (and now Denyse) have color palates that play well with eachother – that matters a lot when sewing from a small stash.

I have to admit that I don’t buy or use many patterns. That being said I’d never ever hesitate to buy one of yours because I’ve had the best experience sewing them. While I didn’t find the Amy Butler Weekender to be as much of a pain as everyone rumored it to be, I didn’t enjoy making it so I would hesitate to buy her patterns again. I agree with the people above who have mentioned customer support (from you as well as from Anna / noodlehead) – it’s really helpful to have a relationship with the designers to be able to communicate any problem I might have. 🙂

I think that trust plays a bigger part in patterns than fabric. I can rely on certain designers whose patterns i have used and liked before, knowing that they are reliable and error-free. that’s a very important relationship to build for pattern writers b/c it’s the path to repeat customers. if i’m undecided between 2 similar patterns, i’m likely to go with the one from a designer i’m familiar with.

loyalty is a little different than trust. i suppose with fabric or yarn that loyalty might come into play with me. especially with indie yarnies–i’m likely to keep buying a certain type of hand-dyed yarn b/c i 1) love the yarn and 2) want to support the dyer and keep him/her in business. but the first question is always do i love the yarn or fabric. that’s the most important part.

Trust is part and parcel of great customer service! My daughter saw a quilt, draped over a chair, in an ad and asked me to make it for her. I did some serious research and found out who made the quilt, wrote them for some advice and they sent me the pattern (free) and a list of the fabrics used. They happened to be HER fabrics and I was thrilled to purchase them – and I now check her site for her latest and greatest releases. Customer service. Sincerity. Trust. ALL part of my drive to shop local and to shop small business. Your patterns are clear, well tested and you are available. That’s all part of trust!

I am always happier when I know the pattern has been tested. This usually helps work out anything that is confusing. If you have had success with a pattern you are more likely to try the brand again. I do think following blogs has helped with my sewing and you do learn to trust through free tutorials.

I think trust comes from developing patterns that work, testing them with real people AND being able to write/photograph your directions well (this is a skill that not all pattern creators share equally). There are a few pattern designers who I KNOW from experience will have great patterns time and time again so I absolutely trust that spending my money on their pattern will be a good investment. I definitely have “brand loyalty” when it comes to patterns!

And I know there are a WIDE variety of opinions on this but I love authenticity in a blog, I like getting to know someone and being trusted myself with a glimpse into their real life, family thoughts. Not everyone wants the same things from a blog but I LOVE getting to know the writer! Thanks for starting an interesting conversation 🙂

Trust and loyalty do indeed go hand in hand. When I first started quilting (just a few years ago) I bought a few fabrics online and liked shops that gave me an extra inch as I thought I was getting a bargain. Later I found out that that extra inch is sometimes less than what you paid for if the fabric is cut poorly. Online shops that cut well and package their fabrics nicely have earned my trust and loyalty. I also once bought a lot of fabric at bargain prices. No more. Now I buy what I like as I have bins full of fabric I’ll probably never use. I went to one local quilt store and took classes but the classes seemed less concentrated on learning techniques than they were on selling patterns and fabrics. Another local shop started charging $12 a yard for fabric that was selling at the “best” online shops for $10.95. And their cuts were very skimpy, their BOM clubs gave barely enough fabric to complete the piece so that if you made the slightest miscut, you had to get more fabric. The topper for me was that they said and hinted unkind things about some of the other quilt shops and told me that any fabric I bought online would be inferior as it wasn’t the same as the fabric sold in shops. So I’m a bit jaded when it comes to local shops and very loyal when I find a shop that has great customer service combined with fair pricing. As far as patterns, I’ve bought kits from a well-known online only store that have been fantastic (FQS) with great instructions, and some from another discount well-known shop known for their fantastic prices and their own line of fabrics. The later shop’s directions leave a lot to be desired and their fabrics are sometimes fine, sometimes not so fine, but never great. I don’t buy from them any longer. As far as loyalty to pattern designers, there are some I do like having had experience with their work, and I would buy from them again some I add to my list of “don’t buy again”. It will put me off a designer if they’re selling a “pattern” that’s clearly easy to make without a pattern or is available online for free. Who designed a particular fabric doesn’t matter to me, but the manufacturer matters and I now stick with manufacturers who are sold by the bigger online quilt shops. Yikes, sorry to be so negative!

I started quilting three summers ago by taking a class That fall I discovered blogs and one blog led to another blogs. I had no idea who anyone was or who was popular or who wasn’t. I just read the blogs during my lunch hour and sewed at night and on the weekend. The first two free patterns I tried were wrong. When I emailed the first one and said that her fabric requirements were wrong she said something about everyone buying more than was called for anyway. What? Being a newbie, I had no idea some people did this — plus being a newbie meant I did not have a stash to pull from. I bought what she said. The second situation was much the same. I had no idea I should check to see if the pattern had been updated because of mistakes. So yes, trust is extremely important. Since I started quilting I have bought a few patterns and taken several classes. I am still amazed when I take a class and the instructor says, “The instructions say to do it this way but this way is easier.” I am constantly reminded that there are many, many ways of getting from point A to B and that’s hard for this accountant’s brain!

Hmm, well as I have to buy my quilting fabric and supplies online, trust does count for a lot. Initially, I suppose, there was a certain amount of ‘suck it and see’ as far as brands go, but if I’ve found something I like, and it works well for its specific task (fabric, ruler, whatever), then they gain my loyalty as I trust that whatever they make in that line will also work well.

For the shops, well it’s funny, Kim’s question on FB recently made me think about this. When online shops run, say, ‘free shipping in the US’ deals, that says ‘I value my customers from my own country’. If they offer an equal discount to their international customers, that says, ‘I value customers the world over, but can’t bankrupt myself on shipping’, and I appreciate the effort on their part. I totally get that international shipping is expensive, but considering that cost, international customers will drop $100s in one go to fill those expensive envelopes, whereas ‘local’ customers are far less likely to do so, so when the big spenders are ignored, as often happens with part 1 only of the deal scenario above, I kind of lose the trust that these guys value my custom, and then, well, I look elsewhere!

Quality wrapping such that the goods arrive in one piece is also a big thing. Taking care to ensure everything arrives safe and well makes me trust that they’ve taken care of my order all the way along. There is only 1 shop whose packaging on shipping makes me cringe every time. They’re ‘local’ in that they’re in the UK, and they sell Klona cotton cheaper than anywhere else (that’s a wider-than-standard quilting cotton solid that may or may not be a rip off of another solid you might know ;o) ) Because it’s cheaper, I suck it up, but really, if somewhere else was competitive, I’d shop there, because I don’t trust that these guys know what they’re doing at all!

For patterns trust is a big thing. Just because you’re a big name doesn’t mean your patterns are good. Sure, the end thing in the photos looks lovely, but if you can’t pass on the knowledge to the buyer of how to create it, then you’ve failed. I would never again buy a pattern by the person that wrote that book whose sew-along we first met on, for example! Yours I happily recommend ;o)

Then there’s reviews. Hmm, now I trust the people whose blogs I read, but I do consider their product reviews carefully. If the queen of HSTs tells me that the Swoon is super easy to whip together, then I think ‘I trust that if you are the queen of HSTs, this will be easy, otherwise it might not be quite so simple’. If a fellow HST-hater tells me that the Swoon is super easy, then I think ‘I trust that this won’t want to make me stab myself in the eye with a fork, and I actually could do this quickly.’ (No-one’s yet delivered a magical warp speed Swoon BTW ;o) )

I do have certain loyalty to designers………….there are a couple for sure that I buy the pre-cuts and also like to buy additional yardage to go with the pre-cuts. I really like it when the blogs I read talk about a certain fabric line that would be new to me and I don’t get it in my area so therefore would order online.

I believe you convey a sincerity and genuine desire to provide top quality projects, tutorials, patterns. You do instill trust in the reader, and that is important. I have been reading your blog for a year or so.

Trust? Absolutely. I bought plenty of fabric and notions before the Internet changed everything, and I had go-to brands and designers I adored back then. We learned designers by–gasp–reading the selvage. Integrity is very important to me personally. If your blog or website is sloppy, if your sewing skills are below standard, and if your patterns are not clear to the last detail, don’t expect me to buy your product.

Trust? Absolutely. I bought plenty of fabric and notions before the Internet changed everything, and I had go-to brands and designers I adored back then. We learned designers by–gasp–reading the selvage. Integrity is very important to me personally. If your blog or website is sloppy, if your sewing skills are below standard, and if your patterns are not clear to the last detail, don’t expect me to buy your product.

You make a good point about the website/social media appearance. I am far more likely to try something from a site that is well organized, properly put together (e.g., spelling/grammar, consistency with font, font size, aesthetically pleasing) than I am from a site that comes across as sloppy. Quilting and sewing are so visual – we are pulled in by what looks good and we will spend our dollars on what we perceive to look good.

I can’t say that trust is ever a characteristic I’ve thought about with respect to making a pattern purchase. I would say, however, that loyalty (to a degree) informs the purchases I make and the vendors I am willing to buy from. The most important driver for any of these purchases, for me, is “am I getting what I want/need?” For example, there is a designer who’s patterns I am very loyal to because I think they are very well written and even the quality of the paper pattern’s themselves is excellent. But, if she doesn’t have a pattern for the project I have in mind, I won’t compromise and choose one of her patterns, just out of loyalty. Loyalty to a brand is huge for me with respect to fabric and notions; there are some fabric lines I will not touch because I don’t like the quality of the brand. I prefer a certain brand of ruler over the others so if I’m buying a new ruler I haven’t tried, I will shop their brand first. And finally, for vendors, if I order fabric and most of the pieces are cut too short (e.g., 17 1/2″ for half yard) or a kit is short on fabrics, I won’t buy from them again because I most likely feel cheated by them (which I suppose actually is about trust). Good topic; I’m enjoying the discussion!

I am not sure I would have said ‘trust’ but after reading some comments I guess trust is one way to describe why I choose certain fabric or designers. I know if I get a pattern with lots of errors or very poor instructions that I will not buy from that designer again. Likewise, if I get a pattern with very clear instructions I will buy more from that designer. I do feel a certain trust for designers that I ‘know’ from their blogs.

I buy from designers that I trust to offer a quality product and shops/online places with great customer service. I am kind and nice to everyone-what’s the point of anything else?-so wanting the same in my interactions that also matters to me.

I think since I have discovered Blogs and social media it has changed the way I choose the things that inspire me and that I want to create with. I do feel a loyalty and a sense of wanting to support some people because I read their Blog or Facebook posts. I don’t get to spend as much as I would like (who does) but when I can I like to spend it supporting people I care about and their creativity. It really is strange but I feel like I am supporting my friends (even though I may never meet them in person).

Oh and I got into reading Blogs because one of the mums from playgroup has a blog and makes quilts and children’s cloths. She and I now share a creative connection which inspires me, encourages me and brings a joy to my life I could never have imagined when I joined playgroup. She is one of my dearest friends & we have so much in common outside sewing that we can sew and chat for 6+ hours (when child care arrangements and work allow) and I go away feeling invigorated, and enlivened. Her Blog is http://www.tickleandhide.com/ – yes we are both Jodi 🙂

Trust means a lot!!!! Of course I have to like what I’m buying, but if there is no trust, there is no purchase. For instance, remember the whole Emily Cier debacle with a certain fabric designer? That designer kinda bit herself in the foot. With me anyway. Trust was lost.

Sara – it is interesting that you wrote this. I was discussing patterns with a friend today and we were commenting on the fact that recently we had both bought patterns that were missing elements, either pattern pieces or basic instructions and I mentioned that for bag patterns I wouldn’t buy any other patterns but yours because of the quality of them. I am not sure this is trust but I do know that I can rely on you to create great patterns and then write brilliant instructions. The other thing that adds to the value of your patterns is the support you offer through your online tutorials and via email. Again, I am not sure this is trust but it is a service that makes you stand out. I know that I bought my first pattern from you because I had seen it on your blog and your blog post and the tutorials linked to the project made it seem like a good deal. In a time when you can link to a global market at the drop of a hat and comparing patterns is as easy as opening a browser window designers need to be very careful not to sell a less than perfect item. After all, if I am unhappy I can email you and if you do not satisfy me I will tell not only my real life friends but also all those that I have online – this is even more important if the person has a popular blog. And while one person may not have a huge impact on a big business a small designer/seller needs to be very careful. In regards to your designs I know I can recommend them to anyone who sews and they will be getting a quality product at a reasonable price that comes with support. Again, whether this is trust or simply knowing the product I am not sure. But I do know that any of your patterns will be published only after intensive testing and consideration for the buyer. So I guess in the end I do trust that SewSweetness patterns will be of a certain standard.

What a great topic and I loved reading the responses from your followers. I’m in sales myself (not fabric) and I can honestly say that the most of my major client remain with me and the company I work for because they trust. They trust the brand, they trust that I will respond to their queries in a timely fashion AND they trust that I will always be honest with them, selling them ONLY what they need. I haven’t used one of your patterns yet but based on the comments above I think I’ll be giving it a go. Thanks again 🙂

I believe in trusting. I have never thought of this in sewing, but now you brought this issue, I believe that this is one of the reasons my clients buy my quilts. They like my work and they trust I will make something just like them! And I can tell you: it always works!! 😉

I need to come back and finish reading all the comments, as they are interesting. I guess it is a matter of trust and also respect for me. Often with quilt patterns, I know I could just copy it but I buy them out of respect for the designer if I think I might want to make them. Or I buy a pattern to support a designer whose work and efforts I respect even it is mostly for inspiration. And I buy another pattern from a designer whose first pattern was nicely written in an understandable and pleasing way, so that is a trust thing.

For blogs, and advice, recommendations, patterns from a blogger, I do find that as I get to “know” them online it will influence my decisions to keep reading, accept their advice, and purchase from them. Again, that is both trust and respect at play. I am looking for them to share what they are making, their ideas and thoughts, some of their challenges and mistakes or at least what they have learned as they work along.

I think trust does come in mind, I tend to gather information from people that I admire (follow their blogs, met them personally, like the mindset and who they are individually, i.e members of my guild-KCMQ. I trust but more importantly value their opinions. I more likely to look at the things they like, review or suggest. I buy their products more frequently.

One of my readers, Jake, had a hard time leaving a comment, so I got it in my e-mail instead and thought I would post it here:

I DO think trust plays a big part of purchasing. While I do not consider myself loyal to a fabric designer (I buy based on what I like), I consider myself loyal to fabric shops, both online and the one local quilt shop I can readily access. I do consider myself loyal to pattern designers as well, both you and Anna Graham are great examples….you may be looking at trust a little differently than we do….we trust both of you to write a pattern we can follow. So we trust that our purchase will turn out the product intended and it will go smoothly.I also consider myself a little loyal out of obligation. As an example, I used Anna’s zipper tutorials to learn zippers and they were fabulous. Not a huge fan of her purses, but I purchased one just because I felt she deserved funding for all the help I had received from her free information. Even your patterns, I love your purses, but they are a little big for my liking. I purchased some anyway…..and found out later, thru your generous correspondence, that I CAN scale them down on print out…..perfect! And your patterns are so very well written, I know I can do them, regardless of the level of sewing involved.Other purchases, I choose small shops over big box when the price difference is reasonable. I don’t mind paying an extra $.75 for hand sewing needles from a small shop versus Amazon, mostly because I have had better luck supporting smaller business (they usually throw something in for free, a zipper pull, A pattern, a fat quarter, an extra pack of needles, an extra 1/8 yard of fabric…). And if I have a complaint, they make it right without a fuss. And I’ve made 3 new “Internet friends” thru dealing with small business, others I can consult with issues I might be having. You don’t get that from fabric.com!As for blogs, the first blog I ever encountered was five years ago. I didn’t even know it was a blog, I just thought it was a website. I was looking for a way to quilt my own quilts (I had NO idea what Freemotion quilting even was I just knew I wanted to NOT turn and tie my quilts like my mother). I found Leah Days blog and have been following ever since. Back then, she had a tab to “support her blog” and I learned so much from her that I gave $10 faithfully every month for years…until that button went away. I’ve never ordered anything from her store though. I think her blog is authentic. Same with Debbie from A Quilters Table. I like blogs that are updated frequently, that show process that show mistakes, that have personality. I went thru EVERY ONE of Debbie’s blog posts in one night when I first found her. We all like give a ways, but they are not the main draw for me.So yes, trust plays a big part in it if you look at trust a little different.

I have done 90% of my fabric/pattern/notions shopping online because I have never lived anywhere with good shops. I usually buy from the sellers or shops that I have had good experiences with, heard good things thru word of mouth, and I return to those who provide fast and efficient customer service. There are certain designers I like and follow their blogs/IG etc.. However, recently I purchased a fair amount of fabric from a well known fabric designer who was having a destash. The designer has pretty fabric, patterns, and a pretty blog, etc. which I have followed faithfully for years. The fabric never showed up and after a few less than helpful emails, and then many more unanswered ones, I am sure I will never see said fabric. Aside from the money and fabric I am now without, what is more important is my total loss of trust in this designer. I can hardly believe the lack of customer service or willingness to rectify the issue.. This has been a lesson learned that just because a designer is “famous” in the sewing/quilting/fabric world, it is not a reason to automatically trust them. We still need to be careful in this little online world. Interesting topic and very timely for me. I’ve enjoyed reading the comments.

This topic was a very interesting one, and I enjoyed reading the comments! I tend to buy from the same designers if I started out with a really good experience or was able to have a problem satisfactorily resolved. I am really thankful for indie designers because it’s been a great experience contacting the designer directly and having them answer back. They know their patterns best and can usually give really good advice.

Absolutely! Trust is so important to me when it comes to what I buy and where I buy it from. My favorite fabric designers lines? I buy them because I love them and I trust that the actual fabric quality is fantastic. Quilting notions and tools? I wouldn’t but anything without checking for online reviews first. There are so many choices and my spending dollars limited that I want to make wise purchases and not just another gadget that doesn’t work the way it should. And patterns? Another absolutely! I’ve made some things from not so great patterns and just the one experience from each of those was enough that I wouldn’t buy another pattern by that person again. There are plenty of other great patterns to choose from. Trusting quilt bloggers is the icing on the cake. If someone else tries something and really likes it I’m more likely to buy it for myself. I couldn’t not ask for advise when it comes to all sorts of quilty things. Trust me….trust is so important and knowing how well your patterns are trusted…I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them.

I just started sewing a few months ago. I was resisting buying patterns because I was trying to keep this hobby the least expensive possible. When I stumbled upon your book at my local quilt shop I wanted it, but wasn’t convinced to spend the money. Then I researched you, started following your blog and instagram. I loved your bags and patterns and then felt confident I could trust I would learn more about sewing from you. So I headed over and purchased your book. I had no idea it had just come out. I do buy patterns only of people I know more about, and people I follow. If I find someone new, I need time to feel comfortable and relate to that person before I can trust that I’ll like their work.